Overview
- China’s Foreign Ministry announced on November 3 that the short-term visa waiver for Japanese nationals will run through the end of 2026.
- Under the policy, Japanese visitors can continue to enter China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days for tourism or business.
- Jiji Press reported that similar extensions apply to travelers from France, Germany, and Italy.
- The extension averts added paperwork and delays that Japanese firms expected if the waiver had expired at the end of 2025.
- The decision follows late-October talks in South Korea where Xi Jinping and Sanae Takaichi endorsed advancing a strategic mutual-benefit relationship.